Manama - New York: Europe and the Arabs
Under the slogan “Achieving sustainable development goals by promoting innovation and economic growth,” the Bahraini capital, Manama, will host the activities of the fifth edition of the International Forum for Entrepreneurship and Investment, from May 14 to 16, in conjunction with the Arab Summit. According to what was stated in the daily newsletter of the United Nations, the international forum is organized by the Investment and Technology Promotion Office of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), based in the Kingdom of Bahrain, in partnership with the League of Arab States, the Union of Arab Chambers, the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, and a number of local, regional and international partners.
In an interview with United Nations News, Dr. Hashem Hussein, Head of the Investment and Technology Promotion Office, said that the forum will focus this year on several axes, the most important of which are the green economy, the blue economy, and the orange economy, or as it is also called the creative economy, which is concerned with innovation and creativity among young people in various fields such as jewelry. Fashion, artificial intelligence, filmmaking, video games, foods and spices.
Through innovation, new technologies, products and services can be developed that can address social and environmental challenges. Economic growth can provide the necessary resources to invest in sustainable development initiatives, according to Dr. Hussein, noting that these efforts come within the framework of what is related to the fourth industrial revolution or the digital revolution and that youth have an important role and understand what the future economies will be like.
He added: "We also focus on the fields of education, research and development, chambers of commerce, and civil society institutions, all of which we call the appropriate environment for stakeholders in establishing and developing small and medium-sized financial institutions."
Dr. Hashem said that the recommendations of the forum - which is held every two years - will be submitted to the United Nations General Assembly to be distributed to member states of the United Nations system.
Promoting financial inclusion for women and girls
On the sidelines of the meetings of the Commission on the Status of Women in March, Dr. Hashem Hussein participated in an event entitled: “The Path to Prosperity: Promoting Financial Inclusion for SMEs, Women and Girls on the Journey towards Sustainable Financial Development by 2030.” The event was organized by the Islamic Youth Cooperation Forum of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in coordination with the Islamic Development Bank.

Hussein told UN News that the event aimed to stimulate discussions on the necessary steps to address the constraints facing women entrepreneurs and economically marginalized women and enhance their access to finance and credit, as well as empowering women to manage their financial affairs and grow their businesses.
  He added: “Our role is to empower women to hone their entrepreneurial capabilities and talent in establishing micro, small, and medium enterprises and then keep up with the growth and sustainability of these projects. We have an experience worth highlighting because it has achieved great successes in a number of Arab, African and Asian countries with the participation of female entrepreneurs from these countries.” .
Initiatives to support women in conflict areas
Dr. Hashem Hussein explained that the Investment Promotion Office cares about marginalized or less fortunate groups, pointing out the great suffering that women go through in places of conflict in the Arab region, whether in Gaza, Sudan, Libya or Syria. He said that women do not play any role in these conflicts, but they bear the bulk of their repercussions.
He added: “In Gaza, for example, some figures indicate that there are more than 5,000 widows who have become the primary breadwinner for the family. We look with great interest at this issue and we must play a fundamental role in empowering these women. The same applies to Sudan, as women have left They lost their homes and belongings and fled uncontrollably to areas inside Sudan and to neighboring countries. The psychological anxiety that afflicts women is very dangerous and has a very significant impact.”
Dr. Hussein touched on what he described as “urgent programs” prepared by the Investment Promotion Office to support women affected by the conflict in coordination with donors or relevant financial institutions such as the Islamic Development Bank, the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, the Saudi Fund, the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, the Kuwaiti Fund, as well as the private sector. .
Is achieving the Sustainable Development Goals still possible?
Dr. Hashem Hussein referred to the latest report issued last September on sustainable development, which revealed that “we will not be able to achieve more than 30 sustainable development goals by 2030.”
As for the fifth goal, which is concerned with achieving gender equality, it may take 300 years in some countries. “This shows the seriousness of this issue from an international point of view, and for this reason, financial institutions and the private sector must join forces with the aim of strengthening the efforts of the United Nations in achieving the sustainable development goals.” According to Dr. Hashim Hussein.